Fire In The Morning
by Jaggie 107
Summary: Just a little 'something' I've had on file for a while. Pure HM. What else? BTW, I have enjoyed the song for a long time, and thought it went well with the theme of 'fire'.


Title : Fire In The Morning  
  
Author: Jaggie107  
  
Rating: Up to PG13 (maybe?)  
  
Disclaimer - They all belong to DPB / CBS, et al. Hope they don't mind me playing for a while. I promise to return them.   
  
Summary: Fluff, for fun, enjoyed writing, please enjoy reading. If you want to review, please do! If you want to criticize constructively, feel free. If you want to moan - please keep it to yourself. Thank you!  
  
Just a little one-off that I've had on file for a while. Set around the end of season 8/start of season 9 (Webb's still alive, but only mentioned in the story.) BTW, I haven't figured out how to put some things in italics and others not when the story transfers to fanfiction.net. If anyone out there can help, I appreciate it! I save from Word into Text Only. Maybe that's the problem!  
  
FIRE IN THE MORNING...  
  
["Your interest always fades when I might actually be in a position to return it." As spoken by Mac to Harm the night she left his apartment to go to Paraguay.]   
  
'I hope you know it's not that I've  
  
got no one else to go to  
  
'Cause I keep thinking of you even  
  
when I'm not alone'  
  
Mac had heard the song on the radio as she worked to restore Harm's loft to a semblance of normality after the fire department had put out the small blaze on the floor below. There was no physical damage to the building, just smoke that had permeated the floor above, leaving a smell and a layer of soot on most surfaces.   
  
The owner of the building had been called in by the fire department, and he in turn had called Mac as Harm's contact in his absence; a fact which had surprised Mac as she and Harm had not been in touch since he had left the hospital room when they had gone to visit Webb. [God, she missed him!]  
  
'Now I'd love to hear you say I'm still  
  
the one you can't say "no" to  
  
and that you'll take me back tonight  
  
and for all the love we've known'  
  
Harm turned his key in the lock and opened the door to the loft with some trepidation. He had seen the smoke-grimed window in the warehouse below, and the burnt furniture remnants in the dumpster down the alley. His nose was assaulted by the still-acrid smell of smoke as he reached his floor, and he dreaded to think what state his home would be in. There had been a note in his post-box from the owner, stating what had happened to the floor below his, but that the building was undamaged and did not affect habitation. It was just left to him to sort out his own place.   
  
Pushing open his front door, he was first met with soft light (nothing unusual in that, he always left a light on timer) and an unmistakable scent. Mac! Moving into the open plan of his home the first thing he saw was Mac, sleeping on the couch. Sleeping, in his home. Mac was here! Closing the door quietly behind him, he put his sea-bag down on the wood floor and moved across the room towards the couch. To her. There was no movement, except her breathing, and it was obvious to Harm that she must be exhausted. There was no other way that she would not have heard him enter the loft otherwise. Glancing around the apartment Harm was aware that there was no trace of soot anywhere, nor any smell of smoke in the air. It was as though his place had been cleaned from top to bottom - but he didn't have anyone in to service his place. And to have got rid of the smell of smoke his windows would have had to be open, letting in fresh air to blow out the unwanted smell. All the windows were closed now, keeping out the cold night air and the rain.   
  
Turning back to Mac, Harm was aware of the smudge of black on her cheek and suddenly realized that Mac had done all this - for him. But why? How? He knew her gift of a sixth sense had saved his life before, but how had she known about the fire? Why would she even be here when she had Clayton Webb in her life now? So many questions went around in his head, and the only person who could answer them was asleep on his couch.  
  
"Oh, Mac..." he murmured softly, bending down to brush the mark on her cheek.  
  
Mac felt something brush her cheek. Her mouth curved up in a smile, imagining that it was Harm, touching her as he used to, with love in his eyes. She knew she had no right to that love, and even though it was still unspoken, she knew he did love her. Had loved her. After the way she had treated him in Paraguay, and then ignoring him at the hospital while she spoke to Clay, she knew she had hurt him badly, maybe even irreparably. The smile turned down, and a lone tear slid down her cheek. Even in sleep, Mac felt the heartbreak and knew that she would never see Harm again. This time she was the one who had pushed. Pushed him away. The light in the room was the first thing she saw through her blurred vision as she opened her eyes. Harm's face was the second thing. Mac made a disgusted noise in her throat and spoke to herself, or so she thought. Get a grip, Marine. He's not here...  
  
"Hi, Mac..." Harm grinned; despite all that was going on with them, he couldn't resist teasing her. Knowing she thought she was alone. "I'm definitely here, in the flesh. Wanna feel?"  
  
"Oh. My. God!" Mac suddenly shot up on the couch and looked at Harm. Really looked at him. Oh, she wanted to touch him so badly, to feel his skin again, but her mind said 'no'. Her heart, however, had other plans, and it dictated that her hand raise up and reach out. That it touch his cheek, his hair, and his lips. "You're really here!" she whispered.  
  
"I'm really here, sweetheart..."  
  
The endearment was heartfelt on Harm's part, but for Mac it was like a splash of cold water. Her face blanked, and she got to her feet. "I...I'd better be going now...then..." she muttered, looking around for her trainers. Harm rose to his feet, his expression quizzical.   
  
"Mac? I don't understand what's going on here. You came here and cleaned up for me, right?"  
  
Mac nodded distractedly, not sure what Harm was going to say next. Hoping against hope that he wouldn't be angry with her intrusion.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"The owner...rang me. You...you still had my name down ... as your contact."  
  
"I guess I forgot to change it..." Harm apologized with his tone of voice. "With everything that's happened to us...to me, recently, it wasn't something I thought of." ['I was hoping I wouldn't have to change anything at all.']  
  
"Why would you want to do this for me, Mac? I mean, you must have worked solid to clean everything and get the smell out of the apartment. There's no hint of room spray, just fresh air, so you had to have been here since the fire to keep the windows open."  
  
"I can't stand the false smell of room spray, and I knew it would only mask the smoke, not remove it. Eventually that smell would overcome the spray. I couldn't leave the windows open without someone being here, either. I didn't know where you were, just that you were out of touch for a while."  
  
This admission raised Harm's eyebrows. "You knew I was away?" He didn't think Mac would have even been interested in his whereabouts.  
  
Mac looked up at Harm then. He wasn't angry. He was surprised. Surprised at what she had said. It surprised her too. Suddenly she knew she had to say something else...  
  
"Harm, I...things...we..." she stopped, and then shook herself mentally, regrouping her thoughts. "I know I have screwed up royally recently, but one thing comes to mind right now. I overheard you and Catherine talking to Clay; that's how I knew you were going away for a while. I would have come to see you to tell you all this... the fire...the fire just made it sooner rather than later..." Mac paused, and Harm stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. He knew that whatever words she would continue with were going to be life-changing. He just hoped against hope that they would be the right words for them.   
  
"While I've been here I've been worried sick about where you were, and how you were. Not knowing, and not being able to find out anything...it's driven me crazy! I know it's too late, but I just wanted you to know...I understand about what you did, to try and find me...I understand how you felt...because I felt it too...I felt so helpless that I couldn't find you."  
  
"I've been away on missions before." Harm spoke up, not able to hide the feeling that maybe - just maybe - he knew where Mac was going with this.  
  
"I know, but I've also known where you were going to be, and for how long. I've had some form of contact with you, or known someone who could - and would - tell me! This...this time was so horrible, not knowing, and not being able to find out. You said as much in Paraguay, that you were desperate to get information to be able to find me."  
  
"Yeah, so desperate I even got 'married' for the chance!"   
  
Mac had to laugh. She knew the story behind Harm's 'marriage' - the reasons why he had agreed to marry Catherine Gale; to appease her mother, to grant her dying wish. While the biggest reason had been to find Mac, he had still been kind enough to help Catherine, to return a favor to a friend.  
  
"Harmon Rabb, if I could take back every word I said to you at the taxi I would - I was so wrong; but I did say the words, and now I can't take them back...I..." Mac faltered, and Harm stepped in.  
  
"Mac, when you left for Paraguay I asked you not to go, and you asked me why I always left it until you had one foot out the door - why I left it too late, when maybe you could actually stay and do something. I'm asking you now, Sarah... don't go. We both know so much has happened, and so much has to be said, but if we're together, we can deal with it together. I do love you, Sarah...I just hope it isn't too late to actually say those words."  
  
"Even...even knowing about Clay?"  
  
"Knowing what about Clay?"  
  
"You think he and I...that we're together..."  
  
"Even knowing that, Sarah, I am still asking you to stay...I guess I'll have my answer if you leave, but I'm willing to risk asking you."  
  
"Oh, yes! I'll stay...oh, Harm!" Mac stood alone for at least two seconds before she was engulfed in Harm's embrace and held as though he would never let her go. Anywhere. Ever again. Which, to her mind, was no bad thing!   
  
"Mmnf...Harm?" Mac wriggled a little, just so Harm would release her to get a breath into her lungs. He did so, but only an inch, not daring to open his arms too far in case she changed her mind.  
  
"Harm, about Clay...nothing happened. In Paraguay, or back here in DC. I do feel I have a friend in him because of what he went through for me, at the hacienda, but there was never a chance of anything else. I couldn't give him anything but friendship, because my heart...my heart has always been yours."  
  
"Sarah..." Harm was speechless. Her admission was the final seal on their recovery. And they would recover - it would take time, and tears, but they would recover, and be stronger for the experiences they had shared. This time was for ever, for eternity.   
  
'We'd light a fire in the morning and  
  
keep it burning strong  
  
Outside it could be storming, but we  
  
never felt so warm  
  
We'd curl up on the couch and trade the  
  
world for our love song  
  
We'd light a fire in the morning and  
  
make love all day long'  
  
The End  
  
Song by Melissa Manchester (No infringement intended; I just like the song!) 


End file.
